Donald Steimle of San Marco Court in Palm Coast lives in a house he bought for nearly $700,000. He and his wife also own a house in Ocala they bought for nearly $400,000 since. He drives a 2021 Porsche Cayenne, the kind of car that can cost from $67,000 to well over $100,000.
The average flagman makes about $13.34 an hour in Florida, or just under $28,000 a year, according to ZipRecruiter.
Thursday Steimle, 76, had an encounter with a flagman called Isaiah as Steimle sat in traffic in the area of Camino del Mar Parkway and Grenada Drive in Palm Coast. A road crew has been repaving the road there. The encounter did not go well for the flagman. Steimle ignored the flagman’s instructions, drove into oncoming traffic, then, after stopping, exchanging words with Isaiah, and revving his engine, drove into Isaiah.
It did not go well for Steimle, either. He was charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, a second degree felony that carries a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison. Steimle was booked at the Flagler County jail, where he spent the night, posted $250 bail on $2,500 bond and was released this morning. He has been ordered to have no contact with Isaiah.
The encounter took place near lunchtime. Traffic had been reduced to one lane, with traffic from each way allowed to go through in turn. The flagman noticed Steimle, who was going south, become impatient at the wheel of his Porsche, the enter the only lane of traffic even though he’d not been waved through. It was northbound traffic’s turn. Isaiah got Steimle to stop “so he did not cause a head on collision,” Steimle’s arrest report states, as he stood in front of the car. Steimle “began to yell that he needed to turn left.” He then “revved his engine and proceeded to lunge forward into Isaiah striking his legs and pushing him back against his will.”
The flagman told Steimle he’d struck him, and Steimle acknowledged he’d done so, but hadn’t meant to. Isaiah didn’t buy it. As Steimle drove on, the flagman took a picture of the Porsche’s license plate and reported the alleged crime to the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office.
Two co-workers who observed the interaction corroborated Isaiah’s account: they’d seen Steimle run into the flagman.
Deputies found the Porsche in Steimle’s driveway, and Steimle at home, not far from the site of the incident. The way he described it to the deputy, he was following other cars that had gotten out of line, and was trying to make a left into his subdivision. He said Isaiah “ran up in front of his vehicle and got in front of him,” according to his arrest report. “This is when [Steimle’s] narrative changed about what happened but advised he believed the vehicle ‘lunged forward’ during their conversation, striking [Isaiah].” He said he did not do so intentionally.
He was arrested. Isaiah’s condition is not known.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that between 2011 and 2015, 609 workers were killed from injuries at road work zones in the United States, 38 in Florida. The death rate for highway maintenance workers ranks 18th among the most dangerous jobs in the country, according to BLS (the rate ranks 22nd for police officers). A flagman working for a paving company at a Palm Coast project on Colbert Lane was killed there, on the job, in 2018, when he was struck by a van.
Brian says
Having flagged traffic for FDOT that asshole would be sporting a nice dent on the hood of his Porsche from the stop paddle. Hope the flagger sues him. Sounds like he can afford it. And thank you to the judge that set such a ridiculous bond.
David S. says
What an asshole entitled much. Lock him up……..
S says
They did. He bailed out for the cost of a Happy Meal 🤣
Tony R. says
True if he also included a side order of caviar and Krug Clos d’Ambonnay 1998 .
Dennis C Rathsam says
How do all the assholes find Palm Coast?
Eric Lore says
This fellow lives outside of Palm Coast on The Hammock. The incident happened out there. The mail probably is handled by the Palm Coast post office.
Linda says
What arrogance the driver has!! It is despicable!! I hope he gets what he deserves and no plea deals!!!
Brian says
One of the first people I met in this county and became friends with 32 years ago. Chris Webb, the nicest, most humble person you would ever want to meet lost his life working a job in a similar way back in 2004. It’s not a joke.
https://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/os-xpm-2004-12-11-0412110650-story.html
bob says
damn fool earned prison clothes and time behind bars
John Flannery says
He’ll make a sweet deal with a high powered attorney and won’t spend a day in jail.
Jane Kranz says
He belongs behind bars. End of story.
Jimbo99 says
I guess he’ll be lawyering up for a plea deal. Get used to this though, road rage is just one of the inconveniences of growth that are going to be a challenge for too many in this community.
Montecristo says
76 years old with a fast car he can’t handle. I hope the flag man sues him.
Where’s Dan Newlin when you need him!
CloseTheBorder says
It’s a Cayenne. A soccer mom S.U.V. Those with real Porsches (911’s) don’t even consider them part of the Porsche community. This rag loves the sensationalism of the word “Porsche”, trying to paint some inequality in the situation.
Vroom says
Voter records say he’s a Republican. Why am I not surprised he’s a d0uche.
BillR says
Now that’s a very sad commentary to those 99.999% of us republicans that are law abiding!
The dude says
I hope so.
Now why don’t you of the 99.99% do something about the lawless and conspiracy minded folks you’ve thrown your lot in with?
Me says
I had a feeling he was a Republican before you wrote this, not surprised.
Bobbi says
His Porsche shoulder be put under an emptying cement truck! What an a….h…! Hope the flagman is ok.
JPK says
The true crime is that some Flagler County Judge is going to let this rich, old, white guy off with a slap on the wrist. It’s not right, but that’s the way it’s done.
Robjr says
Also known as, (AKA) Criming While White.
CloseTheBorder says
Don’t be jealous.
mr jay says
lock him up, 15 years, that would be life for him, he deserves to die behind bars. I am sure this is not the first time, but this time he got caught, GOOD JOB FLAGLER SHERIFFS DEPARTMENT. Time for him to go green, roof in that is, bye,bye
Robert Joseph Fortier says
Let me guess…He’s from up north?
Thank God I didn’t end up living in Palm Coast…if I wanted to do that I would. simply move to New York.
Lyn says
No one has patience anymore. Hope the flagger gets something out of this. And the asshole that did get some time in jail, or pick up trash on side of road for awhile. JERK.
BillR says
Trash pick up! Great idea!
CDP says
He’s rich, so I’m sure nothing will happen to him.
Flagman says
Was the Porsche a convertible? Because the flagman shoulda smacked him upside the head with the stop lollipop.
Peaches McGee says
Steimle listed his Ocala address as his residence according to his arrest intake record.
Red State Voter says
Sign him up for county commissioner!!!
YankeeExPat says
Good One! he could help Lowe with his campaign to !
Celia Pugliese says
We are all very justified to be angry at all these young and old, rich or poor traffic laws violators. To prison with him!
Bob Ziolkowski says
A Cayenne is just an SUV, Porsches biggest seller and nothing special, just like the owner.
Steve says
If it’s not a a 9 series it’s just a Car IMO
jeffery c. seib says
This idiot seems to be representative of the new residents of Palm Coast. For some reason, we seem to be attracting some of the lowest of the low to our community. it wasn’t always like this. Unfortunately, As the bar keeps lowering, we can expect more of these insane incidents all the time. My only hope here for the city is that the judge throws the book at him. This guy has been babied for some time.
Tom Martin says
Why all the class warfare rhetoric? I’m amused at how people are both willfully and gleefully participating in taking shots at this “rich guy” not so much for the crime yet for his financial standing.
Had Mr. Steimle been driving a 2008 Toyota Rav and lived in the L section would his crime be any less? We are all equal under the law regardless of bias, and need to remember that ultimately those laws protect each of us equally.
The dude says
No, they really don’t.
In this country “justice” and the “law” the you get is directly proportional to the size of your checkbook.
A Concerned Observer says
Unfortunately, Tom, this is what society has become. It’s a sad commentary, but if this person was identified as a Republican, a Democrat, Jewish, Muslim, Black (or “of Color”), Latin, Asian or any other definable group, THAT would be reason to place the blame squarely on that group. It seems that everyone must place blame on someone, anyone, other than the individual that perpetrated any event in any news outlet, blog or “Social Media” editorializing something bad. Blame the gun or its manufacturer, not the shooter. Blame alcohol or drugs rather than the abuser. Blame Big Pharma or doctors rather than the drug addict who freely made the choice to escape reality or simply to feel good that continue using opioid painkillers when they were no longer necessary. The term is “Scapegoat”.
Geezer says
Tom Martin:
Sir, you are spot on! If I were hit by a car or SUV, I’d head to the hospital or be transported there.
There’s no video evidence, just the testimony of the flagman’s buddies.
Maybe they didn’t approve of a glorified Volkswagen Toureg driver.
If more people came forward, absent of conflicting interests, I’d consider their accounts relating
to events that afternoon. For now: innocent until proven guilty…
For your perusal, I present “Florida impugnations:”
These are attributes that expose and inflame Florida man’s hatred and disgust:
Having money or seemingly so
Being from “up north…”
Driving an expensive vehicle…
A trophy wife or husband…
A nice house…
A fast-riding mower…(ooh!)
Possessing a triple-digit IQ…
A full set of well-maintained teeth…
Number one: Black or minority affluence!
Wanna fit in and be loved?
Don’t be a well-heeled Yankee.
Consider Walmart your own Saks Fifth Avenue.
Lovingly submitted to all. HUGS…
The Geezer
Tony says
Another self entitled Trumpeteer
Local says
Y’all need to get over Trump…lol….you will die screaming Trump
Me says
Another rich person that has no respect for others. Glad to hear he was charged and hopefully the flag person sues him.
David S. says
Hey folks I just remembered the scene in the movie where a porshe convertible ran into the back of a big truck hauling horse shit. Too bad this did not happen here. Oh the movie was Back to the future….
https://youtu.be/tNNXVpk72uA
Greg says
This person is despicable and belongs in prison– there are no excuses for his actions.
Now let’s examine our actions. This article, and the comments herein, mention his wealth, class warfare. Several comments mention his republication affiliation, political warfare. One comment mentions the color of his skin, race warfare.
Class, politics and race.
I think the only thing that has yet to be introduced into this discussion is his gender.
Have we as a society sunk so low that we cannot simply agree that this person is simply a BAD, BAD human being without introducing class, politics and race into it? His wealth didn’t make him plow into the flagman. Neither did his politics, neither did his race. In fact, people of color, poor people and democrats have all committed similar crimes. Then why fight among ourselves?
Why must we continue to be a nation, a people divided? This person is bad enough. If for one second, can’t we all at least hold ourselves to a higher standard? These comments are disgusting.
Here We Go Again says
Isaiah better call attorney Dan Newlin. The only way this entitled gem will learn is through his pocket book
bashful says
google his name and you will see his “well connected” friends from NY